Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 28 June 2018

House rejects Republican immigration bill, ignoring Trump

By ALAN FRAM and LISA have been dead on ar- end for its July Fourth break. his coveted wall on the bor- scores of congressional
MASCARO rival in the closely divided But that seemed unlikely. der with Mexico. It would races in this fall's contest for
Associated Press Senate, where Democrats GOP aides said Republi- restrict family-based immi- House and perhaps Sen-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The have enough votes to kill cans had yet to agree on gration and bar the Home- ate control. The Senate
Republican-led House re- rejected three proposals
soundingly rejected a far- in February, including one
ranging immigration bill reflecting Trump's hard-line
Wednesday despite an policies and two bipartisan
eleventh-hour endorse- plans.
ment by President Donald Democrats and centrist
Trump, as the gulf between Republicans from swing
the GOP's moderate and districts say the GOP could
conservative wings proved suffer because the party,
too deep for leaders to steered by Trump's anti-im-
avert an awkward elec- migrant harangues, could
tion-year display of division. be alienating pivotal mod-
The bill was killed 301-121, erate voters. But conser-
with nearly half of Repub- vatives relish such tough
licans opposing the mea- stances.
sure. The depth of GOP Conservative Rep. Steve
opposition was an embar- King, R-Iowa, who vot-
rassing showing for Trump ed "no," said lawmakers
and a rebuff of House lead- "couldn't go home and
ers, who'd postponed the face their constituents and
vote twice and proposed say 'I just gave you the larg-
changes in hopes of driving est amnesty ever without
up the tally for a measure really a guarantee of en-
that seemed doomed from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., joined by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., left, forcement.'"
talks to reporters following a GOP strategy session at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 26,
the start. 2018. But Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.,
The roll call seemed to em- Associated Press who backed the measure,
power GOP conservatives said, "Some people can't
on the fraught issue. Last get to yes no matter what
week a harder-right pack- it. House Democrats voted bill language, and the ef- land Security Department you do, and some people
age was defeated but 193 unanimously against it. fort was complicated by a from taking migrant chil- are just afraid of the issue."
Republicans voted for it, 72 "Show some compassion," federal judge who ordered dren from parents seized Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.,
more than Wednesday's said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, that divided families be re- crossing into the country and Rep. Jeff Denham,
total. In Wednesday's vote, D-N.Y., who came to the united with 30 days. Repub- without authorization. R-Calif., from competitive
112 Republicans voted U.S. from the Dominican licans have been working In a startling turnabout districts with large numbers
"no," including many of the Republic with his parents on legislation that would earlier Wednesday, Trump of Hispanic voters, helped
party's most conservative at age 9. "Will we step up keep migrant families to- made an all-caps pitch force Ryan to stage immi-
members. to be the country that al- gether by lifting a court- for the bill. Just Friday, he'd gration votes.
"We need to start securing lowed me, as a young boy, ordered, 20-day limit on urged Republicans to stop This spring they launched
the border and not reward to find safety with my moth- how long families can be wasting time on the effort a petition that could have
bad behavior, and that's er and father?" detained. until after the November led to House passage of
what this bill did," said Rep. GOP leaders have been Senators are trying craft a elections. liberal-leaning measures
Roger Williams, R-Texas. considering a Plan B: a bill bipartisan plan. Trump has In his latest display of whip- creating a pathway to
Conservatives have op- focused narrowly on bar- issued an executive or- lash on the issue, Trump citizenship, bills backed by
posed the bill's provision of- ring the government from der reversing his own fam- tweeted, "HOUSE REPUB- Democrats but opposed by
fering a chance at citizen- wresting children from mi- ily separation policy, but LICANS SHOULD PASS THE most Republicans. Leaders
ship for hundreds of thou- grant families caught enter- around 2,000 children re- STRONG BUT FAIR IMMI- headed off the petition by
sands of immigrants who ing the country without au- main removed from rela- GRATION BILL, KNOWN AS urging GOP lawmakers to
came to the U.S. illegally as thorization. With television tives and are generating GOODLATTE II, IN THEIR not sign it, partly by craft-
children. Calling it amnesty, and social media awash damaging daily stories that AFTERNOON VOTE TODAY, ing the compromise pack-
they have said it doesn't do with images and wails of Republicans would love to EVEN THOUGH THE DEMS age the House rejected
enough to limit the number young children torn from halt. WON'T LET IT PASS IN THE Wednesday.
of relatives who immigrants parents, many Republicans Besides creating a path- SENATE." After the vote, Curbelo said
here legally can sponsor for have wanted to pass a nar- way to citizenship for some The vote capped months too many lawmakers "sim-
residence. rower measure addressing young immigrants, the de- of futile GOP efforts to pass ply lacked the courage" to
Even if it passed, the bill re- those separations before feated bill would provide wide-ranging legislation on help "victims of a broken
jected Wednesday would Congress leaves at week's $25 billion for Trump to build an issue that could color immigration system." q